Arteta’s Arsenal ‘culture’ up for examination in Liverpool showdown

“We
are
out
of
the
competition
and
we
have
to
apologise.”

Arsenal
have
won
the
FA
Cup
a
record
14
times,
with
their
last
triumph
coming
in
Arteta’s
first
half-season
in
charge.

But
while
they
will
lament
being
on
the
end
of
a
giant-killing,
they
have
the
chance
to
bounce
back
from
only
their
second
third-round
exit
in
the
past
26
seasons
when
they
face
Liverpool
at
Anfield
on
Thursday
(January
13)
in
the
first
leg
of
a
semi-final
in
England’s
other
major
domestic
cup
competition.

Initially,
the
Anfield
fixture
of
this
EFL
Cup
tie
was
due
to
be
played
second
but
Liverpool’s
coronavirus
crisis,
which
Jurgen
Klopp
revealed
was
ultimately
down
to
several
false-positives
within
the
squad,
led
to
the
postponement
of
the
first
leg
at
Emirates
Stadium,
originally
set
to
be
played
on
January
6.

2
–
Arsenal
have
been
eliminated
in
the
third
round
of
the
FA
Cup
for
only
the
second
time
across
the
last
26
seasons,
with
the
other
instance
also
coming
away
to
Nottingham
Forest
(2017-18).
Merry.

#EmiratesFACup

—
OptaJoe
(@OptaJoe)

January
9,
2022

The
Gunners
lost
4-0
at
the
home
of
the
Reds
in
November’s
Premier
League
meeting,
as
Arteta’s
men
were
dealt
a
harsh
dose
of
reality
after
a
10-match
unbeaten
run
across
all
competitions.

A
further
10
games
have
passed
since
then,
with
Arsenal
losing
four
and
winning
six.

With
Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang
having
been
stripped
of
the
captaincy
and
ostracised
before
travelling
away
for
the
Africa
Cup
of
Nations,
Arteta
has
once
again
turned
mostly
to
youth
as
he
looks
to
continue
to
grow
a
new
“culture”
at
Arsenal,
who
sit
fourth
in
the
league.

Claiming
some
measure
of
revenge
at
Anfield
could
just
prove
Arteta’s
plan
is
the
solution
for
long-term
success,
and
four
players
seem
crucial
to
that
blueprint.

Super-sub
Smith
Rowe

Aubameyang’s
omission
for
a
breach
of
club
rules
brought
unnecessary
noise
in
December,
though
results
were
not
immediately
impacted.
With
the
32-year-old
not
playing
since
December
6,
Alexandre
Lacazette
has
stepped
in
to
spearhead
Arsenal’s
attack,
but
behind
him
Arteta
has
an
abundance
of
talent
to
choose
from.

Emile
Smith
Rowe
started
the
season
brilliantly,
though
has
only
started
one
league
game
since
November.
That
has
not
stopped
the
21-year-old
from
being
effective,
however,
with
three
of
his
eight
league
goals
this
season
coming
from
the
bench
in
recent
wins
over
West
Ham,
Leeds
United
and
Norwich
City.

Smith
Rowe
has
only
played
63
league
minutes
since
featuring
for
70
in
the
December
2
loss
to
Manchester
United,
meaning
he
averages
a
goal
every
21
minutes
in
that
period.

Asked
about
Smith
Rowe’s
game
time
before
the
defeat
to
Forest,
which
the
midfielder
missed
altogether,
Arteta
explained
he
had
been
carrying
an
injury,
one
which
also
means
he
is
a
doubt
for
Thursday’s
clash.

“The
only
reason
that
changed
the
dynamic
was
that
[injury],
and
obviously
now
there
are
others
who
are
doing
well
and
have
been
performing
well.
That
changed
the
situation,
but
I
am
very
happy
with
him,”
Arteta
told
reporters,
before
adding
that
competition
for
places
can
only
be
positive.

“This
is
why
we
need
that,
we
raise
the
level.
Each
player
raises
the
level
of
the
player
next
to
him,
and
this
is
how
you
evolve
as
a
team,
how
you
create
a
culture
around
the
team.”

Few
could
say
Smith
Rowe
isn’t
embracing
that
“culture”,
with
his
recent
hot
streak
off
the
bench
reflecting
a
commendable
attitude.

Martin
the
maestro

One
of
the
“others”
Arteta
was
referring
to
will
surely
be
Martin
Odegaard,
who
signed
permanently
from
Real
Madrid
following
a
bright
loan
spell
last
season.

Given
the
Norway
international
burst
onto
the
scene
at
the
age
of
15
in
2014,
becoming
the
youngest
footballer
ever
to
play
in
his
homeland’s
top
tier,
it
would
be
easy
to
forget
he
has
only
just
turned
23.

Only
Bukayo
Saka
(38)
has
created
more
chances
than
Odegaard
(34)
in
Arsenal’s
squad
in
all
competitions
this
season,
with
the
midfielder
topping
that
metric
per
90
minutes
when
it
comes
to
players
to
have
featured
over
two
times,
producing
2.1
opportunities
on
average.

His
eight
direct
goal
contributions
ranks
him
fifth
in
the
squad
while
his
shot
conversion
rate
of
18.2
is
good
for
a
midfielder.
Indeed,
only
the
outstanding
Smith
Rowe,
who
has
converted
32.1
per
cent
(nine
goals)
of
his
28
attempts
can
boast
better
among
Arsenal’s
midfield
contingent.

Yet
with
Smith
Rowe’s
recent
spell
as
an
impact
player,
Odegaard
has
started
behind
the
striker
in
Arsenal’s
4-2-3-1,
his
eye
for
a
pass
and
knack
of
finding
space
on
the
edge
of
the
area
a
key
facet
to
some
slick
attacking
play.

That
playmaking
ability
was
on
show
in
the
5-0
thrashing
of
Norwich
on
Boxing
Day,
with
Odegaard
providing
the
assists
for
Arsenal’s
opening
two
goals
and
a
key
role
in
their
final
strike.

While
Odegaard
(33)
has
had
fewer
touches
in
the
opposition
box
than
left-back
Nuno
Tavares
(35)
and
completed
just
10
dribbles
compared
to
Smith
Rowe’s
23
and
the
team-leading
Saka’s
27,
no
Arsenal
player
has
attempted
more
passes
in
the
opposition
half
than
Odegaard
(523),
with
80.9
per
cent
(423)
proving
successful.

Odegaard’s
ability
to
keep
Arsenal
in
possession
with
neat
and
incisive
passing
has
been
crucial
for
the
Gunners.
Indeed,
only
centre-backs
Ben
White
(933)
and
Gabriel
Magalhaes
(822)
have
found
a
team-mate
on
more
occasions
than
the
playmaker
(703).

Wing
wizards

Flanking
Odegaard
(or
Smith
Rowe),
Saka
and
Gabriel
Martinelli
both
head
to
Anfield
in
superb
form.
While
Saka
scored
the
opener
in
the
2-1
defeat
to
City
on
New
Year’s
Day,
Martinelli
has
directly
contributed
to
six
goals
from
18
appearances.

Martinelli’s
devastating
turn
of
pace
was
on
show
in
a
4-1
rout
of
Leeds
United
last
month,
though
the
Brazilian
flyer
missed
a
golden
chance
to
put
Arsenal
back
in
front
in
their
defeat
to
City,
slicing
wide
of
an
open
goal
–
if
we’re
being
generous,
perhaps
he
was
put
off
by
the
referee.
Still,
he
should
have
scored.

Nevertheless,
his
four
goals
have
come
from
an
xG
value
of
4.2,
putting
him
just
about
on
par
based
on
the
quality
of
chances
he
has
been
provided
with,
though
that
is
in
contrast
to
Saka.

The
England
winger’s
tally
of
seven
goals
is
second
only
to
Smith
Rowe
(nine),
yet
they
have
come
from
4.6
xG,
suggesting
the
20-year-old
is
finishing
chances
the
average
player
wouldn’t
ordinarily
be
expected
to
convert.

For
example,
his
swept
effort
low
into
the
corner
against
City
was
only
the
seventh-best
chance
of
the
game,
while
a
wonderful
solo
strike
at
Norwich
(his
second
goal
of
the
game)
registered
an
xG
of
just
0.03
–
essentially,
this
translates
to
a
three
per
cent
likelihood
of
scoring.

Saka
also
leads
the
way
for
big
chances
created
(defined
by
Opta
as
an
opportunity
from
which
a
player
would
reasonably
be
expected
to
score)
with
eight,
three
more
than
any
of
his
club-mates,
and
only
Nicolas
Pepe
has
provided
more
assists
(five
to
four).

Not
only
is
Saka
already
a
proven
creator
of
opportunities,
but
he
is
now
putting
them
away
with
unerring
accuracy.

Arsenal
were
dealt
a
harsh
lesson
on
their
last
visit
to
Anfield,
but
with
a
second
leg
at
home
to
look
forward
to
and
with
Liverpool
missing
key
duo
Mohamed
Salah
and
Sadio
Mane,
Thursday
could
see
Arteta’s
counter-attacking
youngsters
thrive,
with
a
north
London
derby
against
Tottenham
up
after
that.

Even
if
it
again
proves
a
step
too
far,
there’s
no
doubt
the
future
is
bright.